Food storage containers- what do you use?

[Miranda]

Has there been any progress in eliminating BPA?

Gheez, I know I live under a rock sometimes. OK, so I decided to finally google the ill effects of BPA. Just did a little bit of reading.

OK, which number are safe to use?

Meaning one way suggested is to tell by the recycle number if one present. For example, bottled drinking water is a 1, and I think not said to have BPA.

But what about 4? The first thing I thought of was my beloved cheap water bottles for riding. They are nice and soft and squishy, simple, etc etc. I love em, hope they don't have BPA. Also, I think a number 6 is said to have BPA. Yikes, that's our basic cheap glasses we use regularly (kids don't break em).

TO OP... sorry about slight side track, but I guess imporant to know if you are getting plastic for your containers. We have an assortment atm. Some old Tupperware. Glass Pyrex with rubber lids. Baggies are easy if it works for your food travel. Though not as environmentally friendly, I do try to re-use the baggie if possible.

[Brandi]

I use large glass ball jars with either plastic lids (they make them for ball jars) or the metal ones. I also use chinese take out box's I get at smart and final. Those are really great. And you can easily give them to people with left over's and not care about getting back. They also make great last minute gift box's. (god I sound like Martha Stewart)

[Brandi]

The box's are like 100 for 14.00

[Becky]

This is all good stuff- thanks!

This morning, I tried to pin DH down on his preferences. I find myself leaning towards glass, due to it being both non-plastic and nuke-able. However, DH has concerns about breakage, particularly when he's in the field (see OP). Can anyone comment about durability for the Pyrex/Glasslock/Rubbermaid options? I'm considering stainless steel for field days....it's not like we have a microwave out there!

I'm definitely getting some of those Lunchskins! Hopefully, I can find them locally....

[OakLeaf]

I have a lot of the Pyrex bowls in various sizes. If you keep the lids on, they can be stacked. I've never broken one, but they don't strike me as particularly non-fragile. Sturdier than Mason jars for sure, about the same weight as a glass measuring cup. I don't know if the lids are supposed to be microwaveable or not, but they will distort when heated, so we use the flat silicone lids to heat those too.

I *have* broken a Corningware bowl, but that was by dropping it on a tile floor. I think a tennis ball would have shattered. Hate hate hate tile.

[Becky]

I have a lot of the Pyrex bowls in various sizes. If you keep the lids on, they can be stacked. I've never broken one, but they don't strike me as particularly non-fragile.

Do they "nest" with the lids off? I used the word "stackable" in my OP, but "nest-able" is a better word....I'm concerned about storing the empty ones in the smallest possible space.

I'm coming to the conclusion that there's not going to be one perfect solution for packing lunches....and that's ok. Just have to amend my thinking a little.

[alexis_the_tiny]

I swear by Lock&Lock containers. They're by far the best and most reasonably priced containers I've found and they come in all kinda of sizes. Unfortunately, they're not nestable, just stackable. I've seen my colleagues use glass containers that are similar to the Lock&Lock types so you can try those if you're concerned about BPA. I just don't use them because I'm a klutz.

[Brandi]

I really like the lunch skins idea!

[Melalvai]

I've never broken a pyrex, and I break most of my dishes.

They do nest.

[OakLeaf]

These are the kind of Pyrex dishes I have. They're available in sets in a lot of the big box stores. They do not nest, except insofar as you can put a smaller sized dish inside a larger one ... I prefer to keep the sizes together and stack them with the lids on, so I can only get two or three high in the cabinet ... but I can get the size I'm looking for without having to take a mixed stack apart.